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This screen cast is titled "Managing Complexity with MVX Object Server". The MVX Object Server
is a product in the MVX 3D Visualization Industrial Automation product range. It runs on the server
side and is not a visual component of the software. Its more software plumbing also
known as middleware.
The majority of Industrial Automation visualization systems are built around the concept of tags
or points. A point represents a single input or output value monitored or controlled by
the system. Tags are typically an extension of a single point with additional metadata
such as scales, description and alarm information - though the exact nature of a tag varies
depending on the system. The general theme in traditional Industrial Automation is a
tag database which defines a potentially vast collection of points with unique names.
The premise of the MVX Object Server functionality is that as soon as you get any reasonably
complex system, the tag database becomes opaque in that it is difficult to understand or get
any feel for the underlying information structure without significant effort. SCADA systems
typically tackle this by using a consistent naming standard to provide a basic hierarchy
for the tag definitions.
We believe that there is a significant benefit in structuring this tag data into a data model
where the relationships between the tags are a first class citizen of the model. This allows
the structure to be clearly defined in software and for people to understand it quickly.
The application you are seeing is a small demonstration of this premise. It displays
that same underlying data in the form of points, entities and objects. First lets generate
a set of information and display it as points. The result is representative of the feeling
you get when first viewing a large point database. There's lots of information but it's difficult
to see how its related.
Next let's do the same and represent the points as entities. Entities are a SCADA concept
that are embodied in the MacroView package that we developed starting back in the late
1980s. We still maintain and develop the MacroView SCADA package today. The entity concept is
extremely useful for organizing data points. For those not familiar with the MacroView
package, entities can be viewed as a form of configurable complex tag structure. This
display of entities better organizes the point information, to reduce the concept count you
have to deal with... but these are still a lot of entities to keep in your head at one
time.
Lastly, lets display the point information as objects. This last diagram provides a much
clearer indication that there is an underlying structure to the long list of points managed
by the system. These links and relationships provide meaning to the people that maintain
such systems and are also incredibly useful for implementing additional functionality
without having to write reams and reams of repetitive code or system configuration.
The MVX Object Server technology manages data at its core but is presented to other software
as a communications server. We can embed that server functionality into a wide variety of
programs. We've actually embedded a server into this demonstration application, which
I'll start now. I'll also run a utility called the Metaserver Explorer which is a client
side application and connect to the server.
The metaserver explorer has connected to our demo server and is reporting on the contents
of the objects it has found. All of these objects were created by the demonstration
application and displayed as point, entity or object diagrams. I'll just browse around
showing the types of information that is being reported on.
It also has an option for writing out the Object Structure as a JSON file. JSON is a
text format originating from the javascript programming language. We're using it here
as a means of saving an object structure to a text file. The benefits of this format include
the ability to store complex object structures and relationships between objects.
In summary, the MVX Object Server technology helps you manage large amounts of Industrial
Automation data in a consistent and structured manner. This becomes even more important when
you start integrating data from non industrial automation systems such as IT systems, document
management systems, maintenance systems and security systems. It provides a strong server
side and information management aspect to the MVX 3D Visualization story.